On her latest podcast tour stop, Kristin Cavallari opens up about her 2021 fling with Southern Charm star Craig Conover, media frenzy, and how it shaped her post-divorce boundaries as a mom.
Los Angeles, June 26 – Kristin Cavallari is finally setting the record straight on her much-discussed romance with Southern Charm star Craig Conover. On the June 25 episode of her podcast tour, Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour, the Uncommon James founder, 38, recounted how their short-lived relationship began in 2021 and quickly spiraled into a tabloid storm that forced her to reevaluate how she manages fame and family.
How It Began:
Kristin recalled a trip to Charleston with her friend Justin Anderson in 2021, where she first met Craig and Austen Kroll.
“We just honestly clicked immediately,” she said. “Craig and I started hanging out — only a few times — but it became this whole media frenzy.”
Media Storm and Frustration:
She expressed frustration at how the tabloids speculated about her being romantically involved with either Craig or Austen.
“I was like, I hate them. I hate them so much,” she said, recalling the public speculation.
Kristin revealed she became part of the Summer House storyline when Craig appeared on the show, and his then-girlfriend Paige DeSorbo even mentioned her on camera.
“I remember being really stressed out… I felt like they just kept adding fuel to the fire.”
Motherhood Changed Her Perspective:
The intense media scrutiny made Kristin reflect on how her actions affected her children.
“Once I became a mom, I realized it’s not just me anymore… I have this tribe that I’m representing.”
She added that the Southern Charm drama was the first time, as a mother, she experienced scandalous headlines and that it served as a “wake-up call.”
Addressing Overlap Rumors with Paige:
On stage during her podcast tour, Kristin confronted Craig about the rumored timeline overlap between her and Paige.
“I’ve always assumed there was a little overlap,” she said.
To the audience’s surprise, Craig responded:
“I don’t really think there was as much overlap as everyone thinks.”
He emphasized that once he and Paige decided to be exclusive, he and Kristin stopped communicating.
Kristin recalled stepping away once she learned about Paige.
“I was like, I’m gonna remove myself from this situation.”
Looking Back with Perspective:
Kristin first spoke briefly about the fling earlier this month on Watch What Happens Live, where she described it as a “two-second romance.”
“There was a picture of Craig and Paige in New York… That was the first I had heard about it.”
She added that after seeing the photo, she texted Craig:
“‘Hey, let’s just be friends.’ Like, I don’t wanna get in the middle of this.”